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Life in Kenya has essentially ground to a halt until the votes are counted. Electoral officials have until Monday to deliver final results.

Residents of the Kibera slum gather around an electronics shop on the outskirts of Nairobi to watch results from the March 4 vote. Life is essentially on hold as election officials must now count ballots by hand after an electronic tally system failed. (MICHELLE SHEPHARD / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

Security has increased in Kibera, Kenya's largest slum, out of fears of a repeat of the post-election violence that took place there in 2007. Kenyans were growing anxious about the delay in announcing results from the March 4, 2013 election. (MICHELLE SHEPHARD / TORONTO STAR) | Order this photo

Representatives of various political parties argue while reviewing newly received results at the National Tallying Center in Nairobi. Election officials in Kenya are counting ballots by hand after abandoning the electronic tabulation system which has posted early returns. (Ben Curtis / The Associated Press)

Officials from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission work at a tallying centre in the Mathare slum in Nairobi on Wednesday. (Karel Prinsloo / REUTERS)

A supporter of Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Coalition for Reform and Democracy celebrates outside a tallying centre in Mathare slum after her parliamentary candidate won a seat in the Kenyan elections. (GORAN TOMASEVIC / REUTERS)

NAIROBI, KENYA—A broken electronic tally system, accusations of a “shadowy” British ambassador and thousands of spoiled ballots are threatening the peace that has held here since
millions voted Monday for a new president
.

“We suspect a lot of cooking had been going on in transmitting these figures, especially with the new gadgets,” said voter Nahemiah Amwocha, echoing widespread skepticism that seems to grow by the hour. “We want the counting repeated. We don’t trust it.”

Public opinion about how the votes are being tabulated is perhaps even more important than the outcome itself. Five years ago disputed results sparked vicious riots that lasted for weeks, leaving more than 1,200 dead and bringing the country to its knees.

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This time around the crash of electronic transmitting servers Tuesday has slowed the process, with ballots now being counted by hand. Helicopters were dispatched around the country to help collect paper ballots from remote regions and transport them to Nairobi.

Adding to the confusion in the tight race, which pits Prime Minister Raila Odinga against deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta, is the issue of spoiled ballots and how they will factor into the final tally.

Kenyatta was ahead in early polls but once these more than 330,000 ballots — discounted because they did not follow proper election procedure — are included as part of the total tally, it is expected to lower Kenyatta’s lead to less than the 50 per cent required to win.

Kenyatta’s team protested Wednesday afternoon, claiming the country’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission had succumbed to foreign pressure; it accused Britain’s High Commissioner in particular.

Kenya’s allies favour an Odinga win because Kenyatta has been indicted by the International Criminal Courts for crimes against humanity for the 2007 post-election violence.

British High Commissioner Christian Turner denied the alleged interference,
writing on Twitter Wednesday
: “Not true that UK has position/view on rejected votes; that is decision for Kenyans & if necessary Supreme Court,” adding the hashtag, "#impartial," and "wait-not-hate."

Schools had been scheduled to reopen Thursday but with all the uncertainty they will now remain closed until Monday.

“It’s taking too long. People have become suspicious,” said Lawrence Okoth as he waiting for a haircut and shave at Kibera’s No. 8 Barber Shop as the sun set Wednesday. “Maybe there’s something fishy going on. You never know.”

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